Frostbite: Latest Updates from the Wilderness Medical Society

This is the eighth post based upon educational sessions and syllabus material presented at the Wilderness Medical Society Annual Meeting & 25th Anniversary held in Snowmass, Colorado from July 25-30. For this post about frostbite, we are grate...

Summer Tips: Sunburn, Blisters, Sprains, Bug Bites and More

Avalanche Injuries

Avalanches kill in two ways. First, serious injury is always possible in a tumble down an avalanche path. Trees, rocks, cliffs, and the wrenching action of snow in motion can do horrible things to the human body.

Avalanches

Although snow cover appears to be nothing more than a thick, homogeneous blanket covering the ground, it is one of the most complex materials found in nature and goes through significant changes in relatively short periods of time.

Tropical Medicine 101

I just returned from a week in Panajachel, Guatemala, where I served as one of the faculty members teaching at a continuing medical education (CME) program entitled “Tropical Medicine 101.” The course is the brainchild of Dr. Gil Mobley, who has p...

More Fire Advice

This is my third day of watching the Black Crater fire near Sisters, Oregon. Yesterday, thick plumes of orange smoke rose from the pine forests not far from our location. The darker smoke indicated new, more oily fuel burning, from the pitch (resi...

Wilderness Medicine in Snowmass

The Wilderness Medical Society (WMS) is holding its Annual Meeting from July 22-26 in Snowmass, Colorado. I'm attending this continuing medical education (CME) meeting, and it's terrific. In addition to presentations from doctors and other medical...

Use a Sunscreen

When it comes to sun (ultraviolet radiation, or “UVR”) exposure, there is no such thing as a “safe tan.” Sunburn, skin aging (including age spots and leathery skin), wrinkles, and skin cancers are excellent reasons to seek protection from harmful...

Temperature Swings on the Trail

At high altitude, where the air is thinner and doesn’t hold as much moisture and molecules to moderate the temperature, the thermal swings can be extreme. On the trail to Everest base camp, the higher we climbed, the greater the were the daily tem...

About the Author

Dr. Paul S. Auerbach is the world’s leading authority on wilderness medicine. Read more »

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